Architecture,structural and tectonic significance of the Seagap fault (offshore Tanzania) in the framework of the East African Rift

The Southeastern portion of the East African Rift System reactivates Mesozoic transform faults marking the separation of Madagascar from Africa in the Western Indian Ocean. Earlier studies noted the reactivation of the Davie Fracture Zone in oceanic lithosphere as a seismically active extensional fault, and new 3D seismic reflection data and exploration wells provide unprecedented detail on the kinematics of the sub-parallel Seagap fault zone in continental/transitional crust landward of the ocean-continent transition. We reconstruct the evolution of the seismically active Seagap fault zone, a 400-km-long crustal structure affecting the Tanzania margin, from the late Eocene to the present day. The Seagap fault zone is represented by large-scale localized structures affecting the seafloor and displaying growth geometries across most of the Miocene sediments. The continuous tectonic activity evident by our seismic mapping, as well as 2D deep seismic data from literature, suggests that from the Middle-Late Jurassic until 125 Ma, the Seagap fault acted as a regional structure parallel to, and coeval with, the dextral Davie Fracture Zone. The Seagap fault then remained active after the cessation of both seafloor spreading in the Somali basin and strike-slip activity on the Davie Fracture Zone, till nowaday. Its architecture is structurally expressed through the sequence of releasing and restraining bends dating back at least to the early Neogene. Seismic sections and horizon maps indicate that those restraining bends are generated by strike-slip reactivation of Cretaceous structures till the Miocene. Finally based on the interpretation of edge-enhanced reflection seismic surfaces and seafloor data, we shows that, by the late Neogene, the Seagap fault zone switched to normal fault behaviour. We discuss the Seagap fault's geological and kinematic significance through time and its current role within the microplate system in the framework of the East African rift, as well as implications for the evolution and re-activation of structures along sheared margins. The newly integrated datasets reveal the polyphase deformation of this margin, highlighting its complex evolution and the implications for depositional fairways and structural trap and seal changes through time, as well as potential hazards.     

Where fast weathering creates thin regolith and slow weathering creates thick regolith

Weathering disaggregates rock into regolith – the fractured or granular earth material that sustains life on the continental land surface. Here, we investigate what controls the depth of regolith formed on ridges of two rock compositions with similar initial porosities in Virginia (USA). A priori, we predicted that the regolith on diabase would be thicker than on granite because the dominant mineral (feldspar) in the diabase weathers faster than its granitic counterpart. However, weathering advanced 20× deeper into the granite than the diabase. The 20 × ‐thicker regolith is attributed mainly to connected micron‐sized pores, microfractures formed around oxidizing biotite at 20 m depth, and the lower iron (Fe) content in the felsic rock. Such porosity allows pervasive advection and deep oxidation in the granite. These observations may explain why regolith worldwide is thicker on felsic compared to mafic rock under similar conditions. To understand regolith formation will require better understanding of such deep oxidation reactions and how they impact fluid flow during weathering. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Compound ultrarefractory CAI‐bearing inclusions from CV3 carbonaceous chondrites

Two compound calcium‐aluminum‐rich inclusions (CAIs), 3N from the oxidized CV chondrite Northwest Africa (NWA) 3118 and 33E from the reduced CV chondrite Efremovka, contain ultrarefractory (UR) inclusions. 3N is a forsterite‐bearing type B (FoB) CAI that encloses UR inclusion 3N‐24 composed of Zr,Sc,Y‐rich oxides, Y‐rich perovskite, and Zr,Sc‐rich Al,Ti‐diopside. 33E contains a fluffy type A (FTA) CAI and UR CAI 33E‐1, surrounded by Wark‐Lovering rim layers of spinel, Al‐diopside, and forsterite, and a common forsterite‐rich accretionary rim. 33E‐1 is composed of Zr,Sc,Y‐rich oxides, Y‐rich perovskite, Zr,Sc,Y‐rich pyroxenes (Al,Ti‐diopside, Sc‐rich pyroxene), and gehlenite. 3N‐24’s UR oxides and Zr,Sc‐rich Al,Ti‐diopsides are ¹⁶O‐poor (Δ¹⁷O approximately ?2‰ to ?5‰). Spinel in 3N‐24 and spinel and Al‐diopside in the FoB CAI are ¹⁶O‐rich (Δ¹⁷O approximately ?23 ± 2‰). 33E‐1’s UR oxides and Zr,Sc‐rich Al,Ti‐diopsides are ¹⁶O‐depleted (Δ¹⁷O approximately ?2‰ to ?5‰) vs. Al,Ti‐diopside of the FTA CAI and spinel (Δ¹⁷O approximately ?23 ± 2‰), and Wark‐Lovering rim Al,Ti‐diopside (Δ¹⁷O approximately ?7‰ to ?19‰). We infer that the inclusions experienced multistage formation in nebular regions with different oxygen‐isotope compositions. 3N‐24 and 33E‐1’s precursors formed by evaporation/condensation above 1600 °C. 3N and 33E’s precursors formed by condensation and melting (3N only) at significantly lower temperatures. 3N‐24 and 3N’s precursors aggregated into a compound object and experienced partial melting and thermal annealing. 33E‐1 and 33E avoided melting prior to and after aggregation. They acquired Wark‐Lovering and common forsterite‐rich accretionary rims, probably by condensation, followed by thermal annealing. We suggest 3N‐24 and 33E‐1 originated in a ¹⁶O‐rich gaseous reservoir and subsequently experienced isotope exchange in a ¹⁶O‐poor gaseous reservoir. Mechanism and timing of oxygen‐isotope exchange remain unclear.     

Ardières-Morcille in the Beaujolais,France: A research catchment dedicated to study of the transport and impacts of diffuse agricultural pollution in rivers

The 8-km² Morcille catchment, which is a sub-catchment of the 150-km² Ardières catchment in the Beaujolais region of France, is one of the first sites in Europe where research has been conducted on surface water contamination by pesticides. A consolidated hydrological and chemical dataset has been set up with data collected since 2002 on the Morcille River and since 2011 on the Ardières River. Additional data on the ecotoxicological and ecological impacts of pesticides on aquatic microbial communities and macroinvertebrates has also been recorded in both rivers since 2005. The ‘Site Atelier Ardières-Morcille Dataset’ described here combines rainfall and stream water height measurements at gauged stations with concentrations of two trace elements and nine pesticides (mainly herbicides, fungicides and some of their metabolites) in both the Ardières and Morcille rivers. All contaminant concentration data showed spatial and temporal variability in water quality associated with pesticide use and rainfall patterns. This long-term monitoring framework made it possible to estimate the persistence of two herbicides (diuron and norflurazon) after legislation banning them. It took 4 years for diuron and more than 10 years for norflurazon concentrations to fall below 0.1 μg/L. Concurrent biological data showed a gradient of impacts consistent with chemical anthropogenic pressure, and rapid recovery of phototrophic microbial communities after the diuron ban. Finally, monitoring data on pesticide transport in a grassed strip set on a slope of the Morcille catchment confirmed that vegetative filter strips can effectively reduce diuron fluxes in surface runoff (>80% abatement) and infiltration water (>70% abatement). The full dataset offers a valuable resource for the validation of hydrological models and the development of global approaches to better understand the pressure–transport–exposure–impact chain and aquatic community resilience at the small catchment scale.     

Coupling eruption and tsunami records: the Krakatau 1883 case study,Indonesia

The well-documented 1883 eruption of Krakatau volcano (Indonesia) offers an opportunity to couple the eruption’s history with the tsunami record. The aim of this paper is not to re-analyse the scenario for the 1883 eruption but to demonstrate that the study of tsunami deposits provides information for reconstructing past eruptions. Indeed, though the characteristics of volcanogenic tsunami deposits are similar to those of other tsunami deposits, they may include juvenile material (e.g. fresh pumice) or be interbedded with distal pyroclastic deposits (ash fall, surges), due to their simultaneity with the eruption. Five kinds of sedimentary and volcanic facies related to the 1883 events were identified along the coasts of Java and Sumatra: (1) bioclastic tsunami sands and (2) pumiceous tsunami sands, deposited respectively before and during the Plinian phase (26–27 August); (3) rounded pumice lapilli reworked by tsunami; (4) pumiceous ash fall deposits and (5) pyroclastic surge deposits (only in Sumatra). The stratigraphic record on the coasts of Java and Sumatra, which agrees particularly well with observations of the 1883 events, is tentatively linked to the proximal stratigraphy of the eruption.     

Anatomical and ultrastructural comparison of the eyes of two species of aquatic,pulmonate gastropods: The bioluminescent Latia neritoides and the non‐luminescent Ancylus fluviatilis

Light‐adapted eyes of two freshwater gastropods with similar habitat preferences (Latia neritoides (Gray 1850) and Ancylus fluviatilis (Müller 1774)) were compared with each other in relation to optics, anatomy, and ultrastructure. Individuals of L. neritoides not only possess significantly larger eyes than similarly sized A. fluviatilis, they also have a more voluminous layer of photorecep‐tive membranes and appear capable of discerning at least some crude shapes. The eye of A. fluviatilis, on the other hand, has a very shallow retina which is so closely apposed to the lens that it can be little more than an indicator of light and darkness. Both types of eye are generously endowed with screening pigment granules and exhibit no signs of light‐induced damage. Although the lenticular F‐values for L. neritoides (1.78) and A. fluviatilis (1.74) alone are hardly indicative of an adaptation to a dark environment, the greater amount of photic vesicles and the substantial development of muscle fibres in the eye of L. neritoides suggest that the latter can adjust its vision more rapidly to changing light levels than that of A. fluviatilis. Since L. neritoides (but not A. fluviatilis) has the ability to secrete a bright green luminescent mucus, a faster accommodation system would serve the species well. There is, however, no proof that in Latia bioluminescence alone has been responsible for the development of a more capable eye. Most of the differences between the eyes of L. neritoides and A. fluviatilis can be explained by the distinctly greater nocturnal activity of L. neritoides in combination with the ability to produce bright light in the latter species.     

Species-specific responses of late Miocene Discoaster spp. to enhanced biosilica productivity conditions in the equatorial Pacific and the Mediterranean

Census data of a major Cenozoic calcareous nannofossil genus (Discoaster) have been acquired from Site U1338, located near the Equator in the eastern Pacific Ocean and drilled in 2009 during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 321. The investigated 147.53 m thick upper Miocene sediment sequence is primarily composed of biogenic carbonate and biogenic silica. Diatom biostratigraphic data were used to develop a revised biomagnetostratigraphic age model, resulting in more variable late Miocene sedimentation rates. Carbonate content variations mainly reflect dilution by biogenic silica production, although intense carbonate dissolution affects a few shorter intervals. Abundance variations of discoasters show no distinct correlation with either carbonate or biosilica contents. The two dominant Discoaster taxa are D. brouweri and D. variabilis, except for a 12 m thick interval where D. bellus outnumbers the sum of all other discoasters by a factor of 4.6. Data presented indicate that first D. hamatus and then D. berggrenii both evolved from D. bellus. Three unusual morphotypes, here referred to as Discoaster A, B and C, increase in relative abundance during episodes of enhanced biosilica production in the upper half of the investigated sequence (Messinian). Strikingly similar morphotypes have been observed previously in Messinian age sediments from the Mediterranean, characterized by alternating deposition of biogenic carbonate and biosilica. This suggests a species-specific response among some of the late Miocene discoasters to broader oceanographic and climatic forcing that promoted episodes of enhanced deposition of biogenic silica.     

Fluid geochemistry of the Mondragone hydrothermal systems (southern Italy): water and gas compositions vs. geostructural setting

International Journal of Earth Sciences - The geochemistry of natural thermal fluids discharging in the Mondragone Plain has been investigated. Thermal spring emergences are located along the...     

Landscape mapping of the Russian Black Sea coast

The purpose of this investigation is to study structure, evolution and present ecological state of background and anthropogenically modified landscapes of the Abrau Peninsula. This region has been recommended as one of the main conservation sites on the Russian Black Sea coast due to its relatively low anthropogenic transformation and its historical importance. The ecological situation is aggravated today by the construction of a pipe-line and oil terminal near Novorossiysk and by an increase in unregulated recreation activity within the peninsula's narrow coastal zone. A special landscape-ecological map has been compiled for the model area. All ecosystems shown on the map can be grouped into four main categories based on changes of landscape structure resulting from direct impact of human activity and indirect impact mainly from chemical pollution. Ecosystems exhibiting a high degree of transformation are more typical for regions characterized by settlements, vineyards and the coastal recreation zone. Ecosystems with moderate changes also exist in the coastal area, including, for example, some unique ecosystems with pine-tree forests, pistachio-juniper and juniper open-lands. Nearly 50% of pine-tree (Pinus pithyusa) forests are in the fourth and fifth stages of recreation degradation. Some protection measures are suggested to maintain biodiversity and sustainable development of these coastal landscapes and to improve their current condition.